In 2021, the Indianapolis Colts had one of the top rushing offenses in the NFL. In 2022, however, that rushing attack declined, and Indy had one of the worst offenses in the league. Now, in the 2023 season, the Colts have been trying to re-establish their run game. Having a mobile quarterback like Anthony Richardson helps with that, and that was evident with his two rushing touchdowns in the first quarter. However, Jonathan Taylor being on the PUP list doesn’t help with re-establishing the run game.
Through two games, running the ball has been a bit of a mixed bag for Indianapolis. In Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indy ran for 65 yards on 26 attempts, and 40 of those yards came from Anthony Richardson. Three running backs combined carried the ball for 16 times for 25 yards. In Week 2 against the Houston Texans, the Colts got things going in a positive direction.
Zack Moss was back healthy, and he took all 18 running back carries for 88 yards and one touchdown. Richardson added 35 rushing yards and Minshew added three. The Colts finished 126 rushing yards, and took a big step back towards being a dominant rushing team. However, they’ll now face a huge challenge as they try to keep things rolling. That challenge is the Baltimore Ravens defense, one of the best rushing defenses in the NFL.
Will Colts be able to run the ball against Ravens?
Baltimore has always been known for having a dominant defense led by elite linebackers, and that history was restored last season when the Ravens traded for All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith. Smith came in and made Baltimore one of the best defenses in the NFL, elevating everyone around him. So far, the Ravens have picked up right where they left of.
Through two games, Baltimore currently has the sixth-best rushing defense, allowing just 69 rushing yards a game. With Smith and Patrick Queen at linebacker, teams are struggling to consistently move the ball on the ground against them.
The Colts will try to be different. The offensive line has been playing much better than last season, and Zack Moss is a physical running back that knows how to pick up tough yards. If Indianapolis can move the ball on the ground against the Ravens, they should be able to do it all year against any team.